Retail Intelligence

Robinson has given up his role as Westpac’s national manager professional services and director of Westpac growth grants small business team in a bid to do something with a social purpose.

He admits it would have been easy to continue his successful banking career at Westpac (Robinson was 2016 and 2015 Business Banker of the Year and one of the youngest Commercial Area Managers in the bank’s history) but his decision to walk away was a really simple one.

“At some point you need to think about what you are doing today and how that impacts on the world tomorrow. Ecoware has a clear purpose and complete clarity about what they stand for – making the world a better place through offering their innovative compostable packaging. I wanted to be a part of something that will make my kids proud one day,” Robinson says.

He was also attracted by the opportunity to be a part of a small, progressive company that can pivot and respond quickly, enabling them to gain traction much quicker than traditional industries.

“Businesses like Ecoware put culture, customers and communities first – before career and shareholders – which resonates with me. Joining an energetic growth-minded team who have a clear purpose and social conscience was a no-brainer,” he says.

Robinson was introduced to Ecoware founders James Calver and Alex Magarragia through Westpac’s Growth Grant scheme (a Robinson run initiative). He was excited by what they were achieving with their compostable packaging company, both in New Zealand and on an international stage.

“It was these two young guys in their jandals turning a good idea into a global company. They’d done an excellent job to get to where they were at but they were looking for a certain skillset to help them reach the next level. I was looking for a new challenge and enthused by the prospect of using my knowledge and experience to help turn Ecoware from a SME into a ME,” Robinson says.

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As of 3pm on March 21, a wide range of semi-automatic weapons have been reclassified under section 74A(c) of the Arms Act as requiring an E endorsement on a firearms license. This means they can no longer be sold to those with A-category gun licenses, and their purchase now requires police approval.

Social scoreboard

Zavy and The Register have worked together to create a scoreboard that compares how the top 25 traditional media advertising spenders in New Zealand have performed on social media over the past 30 days, updated in real time.

In the wake of the attack on Christchurch’s Muslim community on March 15, strong calls for changes to New Zealand’s gun last have been made. Trade Me was the first retailer to act, halting the sale of all semi-automatic weapons on its platform, and it has now been joined by Hunting & Fishing New Zealand.

As 2018 comes to an end, what a more fitting Instagram page to celebrate than our own. NZ Retail Magazine has had a busy year, and keeping readers up to date through our Instagram page has been an important part of that. Plus it looks pretty good if you ask any of us.

Let the retail store name generator rebrand your business

We know every shop name is chosen with care and attention, but it's a crowded market out there, and sometimes the results can seem a little random. Instead of fighting that randomness, we thought, why not just go with it?

If you were born in a leap year, you can add some not-so-exotic spice to your business name with our random French or Italian word generator. If not, carry on to the next table.